Patent Literature 1 discloses an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) element that emits light in a predetermined emission pattern, as a device for expressing a character, a picture, and so on. This organic EL element includes an anode 20, a cathode 40, and an organic light emitting film 30 arranged between these anode 20 and cathode 40, the anode 20 is formed in a wide rough pattern embracing the emission pattern, the cathode 40 is formed in a pattern corresponding to the emission pattern, and the organic light emitting film 30 is formed in a non-patterned continuous surface shape including all of the emission pattern and the respective patterns of the two electrodes. Then the emission pattern corresponding to the pattern of the electrode (specifically, the cathode 40) is obtained in the organic EL element.